Method for treating diseases in plants

ABSTRACT

The following invention discloses a method for the control of plant diseases wherein a composition comprising a compound having the structure represented by one of the formulas from I to V, 
                         
is applied to the plants. It also discloses the use of said compounds, or their salts for the stimulation of the natural defense and the induction of resistance against plant diseases. Moreover, it comprises the use of said compounds of structure represented by one of the formulas from I to V for the preventive or curative treatment of said diseases. A composition for agriculture, comprising a compound having the structure represented by one of the formulas from I to V, is also part of the invention.

This application is the U.S. National Phase of, and Applicants claim priority from, International Patent Application Number PCT/CU2016/050001 filed Aug. 1, 2016, which claims priority from CU2015-0077 filed Jul. 31, 2015, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to the field of agricultural biotechnology, specifically to the use of furocoumarins for stimulating the natural defense and inducing disease resistance in plants. When the furocoumarins are applied, high levels of protection against plant diseases are obtained.

PREVIOUS ART

In recent decades many studies have been made about plant—pathogen interactions, from morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular point of view. However, the results achieved up to date do not meet the needs and knowledge of the major research groups in the world, and high yields through a stable and efficient protection of crops is not accomplished. Despite the numerous measures taken globally for an integrated crop protection, major crop losses due to diseases reaching 80% of production are reported each year, specifically in situations where epidemics occur (Gao et al. (2000) Nature Biotechnol. 18: 1307-1310).

Plants and pathogens have co-evolved over millions of years. During this interaction, strategies have emerged that allow plants to recognize potential invading pathogens and trigger a successful defense. Likewise, pathogens have developed mechanisms that enable them to evade and/or suppress plant defense responses. The influence of this selective pressure on plants has led to the improvement of their defense mechanisms. As a result, the success of the pathogen to cause disease, far from being the rule is an exception (Staskawicz (2001) Plant Physiology 125: 73-76).

The perception of specific and general elicitors by plants not only allows the recognition of pathogens, but allows the transduction of signals for the activation of response mechanisms. Among the various signaling pathways activated are those mediated by intermediates such as reactive oxygen, salicylic acid, ethylene and jasmonic acid. The crossover between these phytohormone signaling pathways provides a regulatory potential that allow activation of an optimal combination of responses depending on the specific pathogen. The expression of genes related to pathogenicity (PR) and the synthesis of antimicrobial compounds that are generally phytoalexins, defensins, phenolics and flavonoids produced to directly attack the pathogen are also activated (Baker et al. (1997) Science 276: 726-733).

There are other response mechanisms that operate in plants, whose effects persist for a relatively long period of time after infection. These are called: acquired localized response and systemic acquired response. Acquired localized response is observed in a ring of cells, 5-10 mm thick, about injuries caused by the hypersensitive response. This area is characterized by a large accumulation of pathogenesis-related proteins, mainly basic (Fritig et al. (1998) Current Opinion of Immunology 10: 16-22) and stimulation of enzymes such as methyltransferases (Legrand et al. (1978) Planta 144: 101-108), the phenylpropanoid pathway, which is involved in the production of antibiotics such as scopoletin, which does not provide a suitable environment for pathogens, preventing their spread throughout the plant.

Systemic acquired response gives the plant a higher level of resistance against a subsequent infection of the same pathogen. It develops not only in infected tissues, but throughout the plant. It is characterized by the accumulation of PR proteins, particularly acidic, which are related to the signaling mechanism of salicylic acid (Cordelier et al. (2003) Plant Molecular Biology 51: 109-118).

An important problem that persists in agriculture is the insufficient control of plant diseases, which limit the agricultural production each year, worldwide. Therefore, in spite of the advances made, it is necessary to identify new compounds that could be useful for the induction of resistance to plant diseases, to achieve a more effective control of them.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention contributes to solve the problem mentioned above disclosing effective compounds for the stimulation of the natural defense and the induction of resistance to plant diseases. In this way, the invention provides a method for the treatment or prevention of plant diseases wherein an effective amount of a composition comprising at least a compound of structure represented by one of the formulas I to V

wherein:

R is one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, alkyl C₁₋₁₂, heteroalkyl C₁₋₁₂, cycloalkyl C₃₋₇, heterocycloalkyl C₃₋₇, aryl, heteroaryl, arylalkyl C₁₋₃, heteroarylalkyl C₁₋₃, arylcycloalkyl C₁₋₇, heteroarylcycloalkyl C₁₋₇, alkyl C₁₋₃ cycloalkyl C₃₋₇, and heteroalkyl C₁₋₃ cycloalkyl C₃₋₇,

or their salts is applied to the plants.

Definitions

The term “alkyl” refers to an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical with a straight (i.e. unbranched) or branched chain having a defined number of carbon atoms (i.e. “alkyl C1-C10” corresponds to an alkyl which may be constituted by one to ten carbon atoms). The alkyl radical may be fully saturated, mono- or polyunsaturated and may contain di- and multivalent radicals. Examples of saturated hydrocarbon radicals include, but are not limited to, groups such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, 2,3-dimethylbutyl and others. Examples of unsaturated hydrocarbon radicals include, but are not limited to, groups such as vinyl, 2-propenyl, 2-butadienyl, 1,4-hexadienyl, 1,3-pentadienyl, ethynyl, 3-propynyl, 3-butynyl, 2,4-pentadienyl and others. Note that the term “alkyl” as used here, include divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals with a straight or branched chain. Examples of divalent alkyl radicals include, but are not limited to, —CH2CH2CH2CH2-; —CH2CH═CHCH2-; —CH2C≡CCH2-; —CH2CH2CH(CH2CH2CH3)CH2- and others.

The term “heteroalkyl” by itself or in combination with another term, refers to an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical with a straight (i.e. unbranched) or branched chain consisting of at least one carbon atom and at least one heteroatom selected from the following: 0, N, P, Si and S. The heteroatoms in the heteroalkyl radical may be equal or different. The heteroatom may be placed at any interior position of the heteroalkyl group or at the position at which alkyl group is attached to the remainder of the molecule. The heteroalkyl radical may be fully saturated, mono- or polyunsaturated and can included di- and multivalent radicals. Examples of heteroalkyl radicals included, but are not limited to, —CH2-CH2-O—CH3, —CH2-CH2-NH—CH3, —CH2-S—CH2-CH3, —CH2-CH2-S(O)—CH3, —CH2-CH2-S(O)2-CH3, —CH═CH—O—CH3, —CH2-CH═N— H3, —CH═CH—N(CH3)-CH3, —CH2-CH3 and others. In the heteroalkyl radical, up to two or three heteroatoms may be consecutive placed, such as, for example, —CH2-NH—OCH3 y —CH2-O—Si(CH3)3. Note that the term “heteroalkyl” as used here in, include divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals with a straight or branched chain consisting of at least one carbon atom and at least one heteroatom. Examples of divalent heteroalkyl included, but are not limited to, —CH2-CH2-S—CH2-CH2- and —CH2-S—CH2-CH2-NH—CH2-.

The terms “cycloalkyl” and “heterocycloalkyl”, by themselves or in combination with other terms, refers to derived alicyclic hydrocarbon radicals, having one or more fused rings or covalently linked rings, rings that may be saturated, mono or polyunsaturated, where in the case of “cycloalkyl”, the rings have only carbon and hydrogen atoms, while in the case of “heterocycloalkyl”, the rings included at least one heteroatom from the following: O, N and S. Examples of monocyclic cycloalkyl include, but are not limited to, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, 1-cyclohexenyl, 2-cyclobutinyl, 1,3-cyclohexadienyl and others. Examples of cycloalkyl composed by several rings covalently linked include, but are not limited to, cyclobutylcyclopentyl and others. Examples of cycloalkyl formed by multiple fused rings, include the polycyclic compounds having two or more carbon atoms shared for two or more rings, for example bicycle-[4,2,0]octanyl, bicycle-[3,1,1]heptanyl, bicycle-[4,4,0]decanyl and others; and bicycle compounds with only one carbon atom shared by both rings, known as spirane for example, spiro-[3,4]octanyl.

Examples of heterocycloalkyl include, but are not limited to tetrahydrofuranyl, tetrahydropyranyl, dioxanyl, piperidinyl, morpholinyl, piperazinyl, pyrrolidinyl, thiolanyl and others. Note that the terms “cycloalkyl” and “heterocycloalkyl” include divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon radicals composed by one or more rings, fused or covalently linked, where such rings may be fully saturated, mono- or polyunsaturated, where in the case of cycloalkyl, rings are composed only by carbon and hydrogen atoms while in the case of heterocycloalkyl, at least one heteroatom is present.

The term “aryl” means an aromatic, polyunsaturated, hydrocarbon radical which can be a single ring (i.e. phenyl) or multiple rings (preferably from one to three rings) fused together (i.e., naftyl, antryl and others) or covalently linked (i.e. biphenyl).

The term “heteroaryl” refers to an aromatic hydrocarbon radical (preferably from one to three rings) containing at least one heteroatom from the following: N, O and S (in each single ring in the case of multiple rings). Examples of “aryl” and “heteroaryl” groups include, but do not limited to, 1-naftyl, 4-biphenyl, 1-pyrrolyl, 3-pyrazolyl, 2-imidazolyl, pyrazinyl, 2-oxazolyl, 2-thiazolyl, 3-furyl, 2-thienyl, 4-pyridyl, 2-benzothiazolyl, purinyl, 5-indolyl, 6-isoquinolyl and others. The terms “aryl” and “heteroaryl” include divalent radicals derived from an aromatic hydrocarbon, hydrocarbon composed only by carbon and hydrogen atoms, in the first case, and divalent radicals derived from aromatic hydrocarbon having one or more rings of carbon and hydrogen atoms with at least one heteroatom.

The term “arylalkyl” includes those radicals in which an aryl group is attached to one or more alkyl group (e.j., benzyl, phenyl, stirene and others). The term “heteroarylalkyl” refers to those radicals formed by one or more heteroalkyl groups attached to one or more aryl groups and/or those radicals formed by one or more heteroaryl groups attached to one or more alkyl groups (e.j., 2,5-dimethylfuran) and/or those radicals formed by one or more heteroaryl groups attached to one or more heteroalkyl groups.

The term “arylcycloalkyl” refers to those radicals formed by one or more aryl groups attached to one or more cycloalkyl groups (e.j., benzyl, phenyl, cumene, stirene, vinylbencene and others). The term “heteroarylcycloalkyl” refers to those radicals formed by one or more heteroaryl groups attached to one or more cycloalkyl groups, and/or those radicals formed by one or more heterocycloalkyl attached to one or more aryl groups and/or those radicals formed by one or more heterocycloalkyl groups attached to one or more heteroaryl groups.

The term “alkylcycloalkyl” refers to those radicals formed by one or more cycloalkyl rings substituted with one or more alkyl radicals. The term “heteroalkylcycloalkyl” refers to those radicals formed by one or more heteroalkyl group attached to one or more cycloalkyl rings, and/or those radicals formed by one or more heterocycloalkyl group substituted with one or more alkyl group and/or those radicals formed by one or more heterocycloalkyl groups substituted with one or more heteroalkyl groups.

The term “oxo” refers to an oxygen atom that is double bound to for example, any of the following atoms: carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus. The term “halogen” refers to atoms of fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine. The term “heteroatom” refers to any atom other than carbon or hydrogen, usually oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, boron, chlorine, bromine or iodine.

In the tables shown below appear, as examples, compounds which structure is represented by one of the formulas I to V. However, the compounds identified in the invention are not limited to the compounds summarized in Tables 1 to 5.

Table 1 shows examples of compounds represented by formula I of the invention.

TABLE 1 Chemical compounds represented by formula I. IA

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-{6-methyl-2- oxo-2H-furo[3,2-g]chromen-3- yl}propanamide IB

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-{2-oxo-6- phenyl-2H-furo[3,2-g]chromen-3- yl}propanamide IC

3-{6-cyclohexyl-2-oxo-2H-furo[3,2- g]chromen-3-yl}-N-(2,3- dihydroxypropyl)propanamide ID

3-{6-cyclopentyl-2-oxo-2H-furo[3,2- g]chromen-3-yl}-N-(2,3- dihydroxypropyl)propanamide IE

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-[6- (naphthalen-2-yl)-2-oxo-2H-furo[3,2- g]chromen-3-yl]propanamide IF

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-{2-oxo-2H- furo[3,2-g]chromen-3-yl}propanamide IG

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-[2-oxo-6-(1H- pyrrol-1-yl)-2H-furo[3,2-g]chromen-3- yl]propanamide IH

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-{4,6-dimethyl- 2-oxo-2H-furo[3,2-g]chromen-3- yl}propanamide II

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-{4-methyl-2- oxo-6-phenyl-2H-furo[3,2-g]chromen-3- yl}propanamide IJ

3-{6-cyclohexyl-4-methyl-2-oxo-2H- furo[3,2-g]chromen-3-yl}-N-(2,3- dihydroxypropyl)propanamide IK

3-{6-cyclopentyl-4-methyl-2-oxo-2H- furo[3,2-g]chromen-3-yl}-N-(2,3- dihydroxypropyl)propanamide IL

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-[4-methyl-6- (naphthalen-2-yl)-2-oxo-2H-furo[3,2- g]chromen-3-yl]propanamide IM

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-{4-methyl-2- oxo-2H-furo[3,2-g]chromen-3- yl}propanamide IN

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-[4-methyl-2- oxo-6-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-2H-furo[3,2- g]chromen-3-yl]propanamide

Table 2 shows examples of compounds represented by formula II of the invention.

TABLE 2 Chemical compounds represented by formula II. IIA

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2-{5-methyl-11- oxo-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl}acetamide IIB

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2-{11-oxo-5- phenyl-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl}acetamide IIC

2-{5-cyclohexyl-11-oxo-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl}-N-(2,3- dihydroxypropyl)acetamide IID

2-{5-cyclopentyl-11-oxo-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl}-N-(2,3- dihydroxypropyl)acetamide IIE

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2-[5- (naphthalen-2-yl)-11-oxo-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl]acetamide IIF

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2-{11-oxo-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl}acetamide IIG

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2-[11-oxo-5-(1H- pyrrol-1-yl)-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl]acetamide IIH

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2-{5,13-dimethyl- 11-oxo-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl}acetamide III

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2-{13-methyl-11- oxo-5-phenyl-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl}acetamide IIJ

2-{5-cyclohexyl-13-methyl-11-oxo-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl}-N-(2,3- dihydroxypropyl)acetamide IIK

2-{5-cyclopentyl-13-methyl-11-oxo-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl}-N-(2,3- dihydroxypropyl)acetamide IIL

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2-[13-methyl-5- (naphthalen-2-yl)-11-oxo-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl]acetamide IIM

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2-{13-methyl-11- oxo-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl}acetamide IIN

N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2-[13-methyl-11- oxo-5-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-3,10- dioxatricyclo[7.4.0.0{circumflex over ( )}{2,6}]trideca- 1(9),4,7,12-tetraen-12-yl]acetamide

Table 3 shows examples of compounds represented by formula III of the invention.

TABLE 3 Chemical compounds represented by formula III. IIIA

2-{[2-(4-methylpiperazin-1- yl)pyrimidin-5-yl]carbonyl}- octahydro-1H-isoindole-5,6-diol IIIB

2-{[4-methyl-2-(4-methylpiperazin- 1-yl)pyrimidin-5-yl]carbonyl}- octahydro-1H-isoindole-5,6-diol IIIC

2-{[2-(4-phenylpiperazin-1- yl)pyrimidin-5-yl]carbonyl}- octahydro-1H-isoindole-5,6-diol IIID

2-{[4-methyl-2-(4-phenylpiperazin- 1-yl)pyrimidin-5-yl]carbonyl}- octahydro-1H-isoindole-5,6-diol IIIE

2-{[2-(4-cyclohexylpiperazin-1- yl)pyrimidin-5-yl]carbonyl}- octahydro-1H-isoindole-5,6-diol IIIF

2-{[2-(4-cyclohexylpiperazin-1-yl)-4- methylpyrimidin-5-yl]carbonyl}- octahydro-1H-isoindole-5,6-diol IIIG

2-{[2-(4-cyclopentylpiperazin-1- yl)pyrimidin-5-yl]carbonyl}- octahydro-1H-isoindole-5,6-diol IIIH

2-{[2-(4-cyclopentylpiperazin-1-yl)- 4-methylpyrimidin-5-yl]carbonyl}- octahydro-1H-isoindole-5,6-diol IIII

2-{[2-(piperazin-1-yl)pyrimidin-5- yl]carbonyl}-octahydro-1H- isoindole-5,6-diol IIIJ

2-{[4-methyl-2-(piperazin-1- yl)pyrimidin-5-yl]carbonyl}- octahydro-1H-isoindole-5,6-diol IIIK

2-({2-[4-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)piperazin-1- yl]pyrimidin-5-yl}carbonyl)- octahydro-1H-isoindole-5,6-diol IIIL

2-({4-methyl-2-[4-(1H-pyrrol-1- yl)piperazin-1-yl]pyrimidin-5- yl}carbonyl)-octahydro-1H- isoindole-5,6-diol

Table 4 shows examples of compounds represented by formula IV of the invention.

TABLE 4 Chemical compounds represented by formula IV. IVA

3-(4-{4-[(3-methyl- pyrrolidin-1-yl)carbonyl] phenoxy}piperidin-1- yl)propane-1,2-diol IVB

1-(4-{4-[(3-methyl- pyrrolidin-1-yl)carbonyl] phenoxy}piperidin-1- yl)butane-2,3-diol IVC

3-(4-{4-[(3-phenyl- pyrrolidin-1-yl)carbonyl] phenoxy}piperidin-1- yl)propane-1,2-diol IVD

1-(4-{4-[(3-phenyl- pyrrolidin-1-yl)carbonyl] phenoxy}piperidin-1- yl)butane-2,3-diol IVE

3-(4-{4-[(3-cyclohexyl- pyrrolidin-1-yl)carbonyl] phenoxy}piperidin-1- yl)propane-1,2-diol IVF

1-(4-{4-[(3-cyclohexyl- pyrrolidin-1-yl)carbonyl] phenoxy}piperidin-1- yl)butane-2,3-diol IVG

3-(4-{4-[(3-cyclopentyl- pyrrolidin-1-yl)carbonyl] phenoxy}piperidin-1- yl)propane-1,2-diol IVH

1-(4-{4-[(3-cyclopentyl- pyrrolidin-1-yl)carbonyl] phenoxy}piperidin-1- yl)butane-2,3-diol IVI

3-(4-{4-[(pyrrolidin-1- yl)carbonyl]phenoxy} piperidin-1-yl)propane- 1,2-diol IVJ

1-(4-{4-[(pyrrolidin-1- yl)carbonyl]phenoxy} piperidin-1-yl)butane- 2,3-diol IVK

3-[4-(4-{[3-(1H-pyrrol- 1-yl)pyrrolidin-1-yl] carbonyl}phenoxy) piperidin-1-yl]propane- 1,2-diol IVL

1-[4-(4-{[3-(1H-pyrrol- 1-yl)pyrrolidin-1-yl] carbonyl}phenoxy) piperidin-1-yl]butane- 2,3-diol

Table 5 shows examples of compounds represented by formula V of the invention.

TABLE 5 Chemical compounds represented by formula V. VA

3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2- yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-N-methyl-3,4- dihydro-2H-1,4-benzoxazine-6- carboxamide VB

3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2- yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-N,4-dimethyl-3,4- dihydro-2H-1,4-benzoxazine-6- carboxamide VC

3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2- yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-N-phenyl-3,4- dihydro-2H-1,4-benzoxazine-6- carboxamide VD

3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2- yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-4-methyl-N-phenyl- 3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzoxazine-6- carboxamide VE

N-cyclohexyl-3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2- yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4- benzoxazine-6-carboxamide VF

N-cyclohexyl-3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2- yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-4-methyl-3,4- dihydro-2H-1,4-benzoxazine-6- carboxamide VG

N-cyclopentyl-3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan- 2-yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-3,4-dihydro-2H- 1,4-benzoxazine-6-carboxamide VH

N-cyclopentyl-3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan- 2-yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-4-methyl-3,4- dihydro-2H-1,4-benzoxazine-6- carboxamide VI

3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2- yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4- benzoxazine-6-carboxamide VJ

3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2- yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-4-methyl-3,4- dihydro-2H-1,4-benzoxazine-6- carboxamide VK

3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2- yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-N-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)- 3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzoxazine-6- carboxamide VI

3-{[(1,3-dihydroxypropan-2- yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-4-methyl-N-(1H- pyrrol-1-yl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4- benzoxazine-6-carboxamide

In an embodiment of the invention, the disclosed method is used for the treatment of a disease caused by a phytopathogen, selected from the group composed by bacteria, oomycetes, fungi and nematodes. In a particular embodiment, the method is employed for the treatment of the Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, caused by the phytopathogen bacterium Candidatus ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’.

As a materialization of the invention, in the disclosed method, the composition comprises between 0.01 μM and 5 μM of the compound of structure represented by one of the formulas I to V. In other materialization, said compound is applied to the plants once or twice a month.

A composition for agriculture that comprises at least one of the compounds of structure represented by one of the formulas I to V, or their salts, and an appropriate excipient or carrier is also an object of the invention.

In the invention, said compounds can be formulated as a suspension, solution, emulsion, powder, granule, emulsion concentrate, aerosol, impregnated granule, adjuvant, paste or through encapsulations. Said formulations are produced by known methods, for example, by mixing the active component with extenders, surfactants, emulsifiers and/or dispersers, and appropriate carriers.

In an embodiment of the invention, the active compound, that is at least one of the compounds with a formula selected from formula I up to formula V, is in the range from 0.01 μM to 5 μM in the composition. In a preferred embodiment, the composition is applied to the plants for the treatment of the disease caused by the bacterium Candidatus ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’, causal agent of the HLB disease.

Another object of the invention is the use of a compound with an structure represented by one of the formulas from I to V, or its salts, for the stimulation of the natural defense and the induction of resistance to plant diseases.

At present, the induction of disease resistance in plants is a method of great importance and interest, which allows the usage of biochemical and molecular mechanisms that already exist in the plant in the disease control. The plant defense to diseases comprises a series of events related to the recognition, signaling and response, defined as innate immunity of plants. This innate immunity can be activated by a number of factors, which decisively contribute to disease control. Among the possible defense mechanisms that are activated by the plant is the synthesis of antimicrobial compounds, like phytoalexins, defensins and pathogenesis-related proteins, among others. These responses are mediated by activation of genes related to salicylic acid, jasmonic acid/ethylene and hypersensitive response.

In the present invention, after the treatment with the compounds of formula selected from I to V, the activation of the GST1, PR1 y PDF 1.2 genes, which are markers of the salicylic acid, jasmonic acid/ethylene and hypersensitive response, is shown.

Hence, the invention also includes the use of the compounds that have the structure represented by one of the formulas I to V, or their salts, for the manufacture of a composition for the preventive or curative treatment of the plant diseases. Prevention or treatment of said diseases is achieved through the activation of genes related to the route of the salicylic acid, jasmonic acid/ethylene and the hypersensitivity response. In an embodiment, the invention provides the preventive and curative treatment of plant diseases caused by bacteria, oomycetes, fungi and nematodes.

In a particular embodiment, the treatment with the compounds of structure represented by one of the formulas from I to V, in a range of concentration between 0.01-5 μM, allows the drastic reduction of the disease causative agents. It is achieved through the decrease in the number of the bacterium, oomycete, fungus or nematode copies, due to the treatment of the infected plants with the compounds disclosed in the invention. In a preferred embodiment, the phytopathogen is the bacterium Candidatus ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’. In a more preferred embodiment, the compounds of structure represented by one of the formula from I to V are obtained by chemical synthesis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. Relative expression of genes related to defense responses to diseases in Arabidopsis thaliana plants treated with the compounds at the concentration of 1 μM. The bars represent the standard deviation of the mean, in 10 plants per each tested compound. The evaluated genes are related to the plant resistance, A: through the salicylic acid (PR1: pathogenesis related protein), B: jasmonic acid/ethylene (PDF 1.2: defensin) and C: the hypersensitivity response (GST1: glutathione S transferase).

FIG. 2. Relative expression of genes related to defense responses to diseases in citrus plants treated with the compounds at the concentration of 1 μM. Bars represent the standard deviation of the mean of 10 plants per each tested compound. The tested genes are related to the resistance of plants through A: AOS: allene oxide synthase; B: PAL: phenylalanine-ammonia lyase.

FIG. 3. Effect of the compounds, at the concentration of 1 μM, on the reduction of the titers of the pathogen bacterium causative of the HLB disease, in growing citrus plants. As a control, plants treated with water were used. Ten plants were used per each treatment. The bacterial titers were evaluated every 3 months, during a year.

FIG. 4. Effect of the frequency of application of the compounds on the reduction of the titers of the bacterial causative agent of the HLB disease. The compound was applied at the concentration of 1 μM. The bacterial titers were evaluated during 6 months.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION/EXAMPLES Example 1. Activation of Genes Related to the Natural Resistance of Plants to Disease after Treatment of Arabidopsis Thaliana Plants with the Compounds of Formula I to V

Arabidopsis plants were treated with the compounds at 1 μM. Leaves from ten plants were collected at 24 hours after spray application. Total RNA was extracted from leaves using the RNeasy kit (Qiagen, Valencia, Calif.) according to manufacturer's instructions, which includes a DNase treatment. The cDNAs were synthesized by using oligo-dT primer and reverse transcription kit SuperScript III (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.) according to manufacturer's instructions. The real-time quantitative PCR was performed using a RotorGene 3000 PCR machine (Corbett, Australia) and QuantiTect SYBR Green PCR kit (Qiagen). All sequences of primers for genes related to defense against diseases of Arabidopsis plants are shown in Table 6. The reaction conditions in real-time PCR were: an initial denaturation step at 95° C. for 15 min. followed by denaturation at 95° C. for 15 s, an alignment step for 30 s at 60° C. and an extension step for 30 s at 72° C. for 40 cycles. The analysis was carried out using the RotorGene 3000 software (Corbett, Australia) and five replicates were used for each sample. Experiments were repeated twice.

TABLE 6 Oligonucleotides used to detect genes related to the defense of diseases in plants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis thaliana genes analyzed Oligonucleotides PR-1 GATGTGCCAAAGTGAGGTG TGCATGATCACATCATTACTTC GST1 TGGCTTCTGACCACTTCAC ACGCTCGTCGAAGAGTTTCT PDF1.2 TCATGGCTAAGTTTGCTTCC TGTCCCACTTGGCTTCTCGC UBQ10 CAGAACTTTGGCCGACTAC ATGGTCTTTCCGGTGAGAG

FIG. 1 shows as all analyzed genes were activated after treatment of Arabidopsis plants with the chemical compounds represented by the formula from I to V. The PR1, GST and PDF1.2 genes have an important role into innate immunity against plant diseases produced by fungus, bacterial and oomycete. Interesting, this behavior might predict the relation between its activation and biological activity.

Example 2. Activation of Genes Related to the Natural Plant Resistance to Diseases after the Treatment of Citrus Plants with Compounds of Formula I to V

Citrus plants (Citrus sinensis) were treated with the compounds of formula I to V at 1 μM. Leaves from ten plants were collected at 24 hours after spray application. Total RNA was extracted from leaves using the RNeasy kit (Qiagen, Valencia, Calif.) according to manufacturer's instructions, which includes a DNase treatment. The cDNAs were synthesized by using oligo-dT primer and reverse transcription kit SuperScript III (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.) according to manufacturer's instructions. The real-time quantitative PCR was performed using a RotorGene 3000 PCR machine (Corbett, Australia) and QuantiTect SYBR Green PCR kit (Qiagen). All sequences of primers for genes related to defense against diseases of citrus plants are shown in Table 7. The reaction conditions in real-time PCR were: an initial denaturation step at 95° C. for 15 min. followed by denaturation at 95° C. for 15 s, an alignment step for 30 s at 60° C. and an extension step for 30 s at 72° C. for 40 cycles. The analysis was carried out using the RotorGene 3000 software (Corbett, Australia) and five replicates were used for each sample. Experiments were repeated twice.

TABLE 7 Oligonucleotides used to detect genes related to the defense against diseases in citrus plants. Citrus sinensis genes analyzed Oligonucleotides Phenylalanine ammonia- AACGGGTTGCCTTCAAATCTTA lyase (PAL) ACATGATTGGTGACAGGATTGG allene oxide synthase CCACACTTGGCTCGGATGC (AOS) CGTGCGGAGCAATGGTTC actin GTGGCTCCACCAGAGAGAAA TGGATGGACCAGACTCATCA

FIG. 2 shows as all analyzed genes (PAL and AOS) were activated after treatment of citrus plants with the molecules. The compounds identified in the invention were able to activate the defense in citrus plants like in Arabidopsis plants.

Example 3. Evaluation of the Effect of the Compounds of Formula I to V on the Control of the HLB Disease in Citrus

The experiment was developed under greenhouses conditions. Plants with symptoms of HLB were placed in black plastic bags with a suitable irrigation regimen. The levels of the bacteria Candidatus ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’ in plants with symptoms of HLB were determined by real-time PCR, through the absolute quantification of bacteria in the leaves according to the standard curve and 16S ribosomal DNA amplified from the bacteria. Before the experiment, 10 plants per treatment were selected. Quantification of bacteria was done every 3 months, during a year. The last assessment was developed by taking all the leaves of the plant and performing a mixture prior to isolation of DNA. The concentration of the compounds of formula I to V was 1 μM and they were applied by spraying every 15 days. The DNA was extracted from leaves according to the protocol for isolation of DNA from Promega.

The real-time quantitative PCR was performed using a RotorGene 3000 PCR machine (Corbett, Australia) and QuantiTect SYBR Green PCR kit (Qiagen). The oligonucleotides used for quantification of bacteria were: CTAATCCCCAAAAGCCATCTC and CTTCAGGCAAAACCAACTCC. The reaction conditions in real-time PCR were: an initial denaturation step at 95° C. for 15 min. followed by denaturation at 95° C. for 15 s, an alignment step for 30 s at 60° C. and an extension step for 30 s at 72° C. for 40 cycles. The analysis was carried out using the RotorGene 3000 software (Corbett, Australia) and five replicates were used for each sample. Experiments were repeated twice. As it can be seen, in the plants treated with compounds of formula I to V, a significant reduction in the levels of bacteria was obtained, reaching undetectable levels starting from month 4, and keeping said behaviour until the last evaluation, done at the end of the experiment (FIG. 3). As a control, sick plants treated with water, instead of the solution of the compounds, were employed. In said plants, the levels of the bacterium remained similar to those found at the beginning of the experiment, during all the evaluation time.

Example 4. Evaluation of Different Concentrations of Compounds of Formula I to V in the Control of the Citrus HLB Disease

The objective of this experiment was to assess the minimum concentration of the compounds of formula I to V needed to control the citrus HLB disease. Ten growing citrus plants (Citrus sinensis) with HLB were used, per each dose. The concentrations tested were 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 5, and 10 μM, and the compounds were applied by spraying, every 15 days, for 12 months. The evaluation was performed 12 months after treatment. The levels of the bacteria Candidatus ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’ were determined as in Example 3. The average of the titers of bacterium in the plants was approximately 6000 copies per reaction. As it is shown in Table 8, from the concentrations of 0.01 to 5 μM of the assayed compounds, the bacterium levels were drastically reduced.

TABLE 8 Effect of different concentrations of the compounds on the bacterial causative agent of the HLB disease. Concentrations (μM) Compound 0 0.001 0.01 1 5 10 IA  5621* 524 12 0 52 9652 IB 3214 598 15 0 98 9751 IC 8456 432 9 0 43 9632 ID 8745 123 0 0 123 5489 IE 9654 587 0 0 87 6574 IF 7895 985 0 0 98 6325 IG 3574 657 11 1 65 5423 IH 9523 658 8 12 68 4569 II 9541 756 14 14 76 8420 IJ 5632 456 0 18 46 5840 IK 5489 435 0 0 45 6521 IL 3658 578 0 0 78 3574 IM 8452 635 0 0 65 3541 IN 8632 524 0 0 54 2368 IIA 9652 598 14 0 98 9845 IIB 9751 432 17 2 43 8654 IIC 9632 123 25 2 23 4562 IID 5489 587 12 2 87 1351 IIE 6574 985 1 5 98 2547 IIF 6325 657 9 0 67 6547 IIG 5423 658 0 3 68 4587 IIH 4569 756 0 1 76 2365 III 8420 456 0 1 56 3654 IIJ 5840 435 1 1 45 6541 IIK 6521 578 8 0 78 2365 IIL 3574 635 1 0 65 5478 IIM 3541 524 0 0 54 8542 IIN 2368 598 0 0 98 9654 IIIA 9845 432 0 0 43 2365 IIIB 8654 123 0 0 23 8546 IIIC 4562 587 0 0 87 3654 IIID 1351 985 1 0 98 9653 IIIE 2547 657 7 0 67 8653 IIIF 9547 658 5 4 68 3654 IIIG 8542 756 12 5 76 9654 IIIH 9853 456 15 6 56 3657 IIII 5478 435 9 8 45 8654 IIIJ 9854 578 0 7 578 7546 IIIK 6524 635 0 3 65 8420 IIIL 6547 524 0 6 54 5840 IVA 4587 598 1 5 98 6521 IVB 2365 432 8 4 43 3574 IVC 3654 123 4 0 23 3541 IVD 6541 587 0 0 87 2368 IVE 2365 985 0 0 98 9845 IVF 5478 657 0 0 67 8654 IVG 8542 658 0 0 68 4562 IVH 9654 756 0 0 76 1351 IVI 2365 456 4 2 56 2547 IVJ 8546 435 7 3 45 9547 IVK 3654 578 5 4 78 8542 IVL 9653 635 1 7 65 9853 VA 8653 524 1 5 54 5478 VB 3654 598 9 2 98 9854 VC 9654 432 0 4 43 6524 VD 3657 123 0 0 23 6547 VE 8654 587 0 0 87 4587 VF 7546 985 1 0 98 2365 VG 6548 657 8 0 67 3654 VH 6325 658 4 0 68 6541 VI 8456 756 0 0 76 4562 VJ 3654 456 0 0 56 1351 VK 8456 435 0 0 45 2547 VI 7777 578 0 0 78 9547 *Titers of the bacterium (12 months after the treatment with the compounds, at the indicated concentration)

Example 5. Evaluation of the Effect of Application Frequency of the Compounds on the Control of the Citrus HLB Disease

The objective of this experiment was to determine the influence of frequency of spray application of the compound IB on the control of citrus HLB disease in diseased citrus plants. Ten plants were used per treatment, and the studied application frequencies were: once and twice a month, during 6 months. The concentration used was 1 μM and the determinations of the bacterium level were performed every month. The levels of the bacteria Candidatus ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’ were determined as in Example 3. As it can be seen in FIG. 4, the bacterial reduction was observed in both tested variants. The application once a month reduced significantly the levels of the bacterium, compared to the application twice a month.

Example 6. Evaluation of the Effect of the Compounds of Formula I to V on the Control of Other Plant Diseases

In order to compare the effect of the compounds of formula I to V on the control of diseases in different plants, experiments were conducted in tobacco, tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana plants inoculated with Phytophthora parasitica, Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria solani, Nocardia sp and Botrytis cinerea, respectively. The compounds were applied by spraying, at a concentration of 1 μM, every 24 hours for one week. The plant mortality rate was determined for the disease produced by Phytophthora parasitica, Rhizoctonia solani and Nocardia sp, while the percentage of leaves with symptoms was determined for the infection by Alternaria solani. In the case of plants affected by Botrytis cinerea, the lesion diameter was measured. Table 9 shows that the compounds had a marked effect in the reduction of the mortality due to several plant diseases, a decrease in the symptoms caused by them was also observed. Each treatment included fifty plants. As control, plants treated with water were studied. The plants of each treatment were previously inoculated with the indicated pathogens, according to different inoculation protocols (Frontiers in Plant Science 3: 268, 1-6, 2012), and later they were treated with the compounds.

TABLE 9 Effect of the assayed compounds on the control of different plant diseases produced by fungi, oomycetes and bacteria. Pathogen Compound Pp-Nt Rs-Nt N-Nt Rs-Sl As-Sl Bc-At Bc-Nt Bc-Sl control 91* 87* 58* 96*  68** 8.7*** 6.7*** 7.4*** IA 1 2 1 3 1 1.2 0.3 0.8 IB 2 3 1 2 2 1.1 2.0 1.6 IC 1 4 2 2 3 0.5 0.9 0.8 ID 0 0 1 2 8 1.5 1.5 2.5 IE 0 0 0 0 7 2.4 1.5 0.8 IF 0 0 0 1 5 0.7 0.9 1.2 IG 3 0 0 1 7 1.2 0.3 0.8 IH 1 2 1 3 1 1.1 2.0 1.6 II 2 3 1 2 2 0.5 0.9 0.8 IJ 1 4 2 2 3 1.5 1.5 2.5 IK 0 0 1 2 8 2.4 1.5 0.8 IL 0 0 0 0 7 0.7 0.9 1.2 IM 0 0 0 1 5 1.2 0.3 0.8 IN 3 0 0 1 7 1.1 2.0 1.6 IIA 1 2 1 3 1 0.5 0.9 0.8 IIB 2 3 1 2 2 1.5 1.5 2.5 IIC 1 4 2 2 3 2.4 1.5 0.8 IID 0 0 1 2 8 0.7 0.9 1.2 IIE 0 0 0 0 7 1.2 0.3 0.8 IIF 0 0 0 1 5 1.1 2.0 1.6 IIG 3 0 0 1 7 0.5 0.9 0.8 IIH 1 2 1 3 1 1.5 1.5 2.5 III 2 3 1 2 2 2.4 1.5 0.8 IIJ 1 4 2 2 3 0.7 0.9 1.2 IIK 0 0 1 2 8 1.2 0.3 0.8 IIL 0 0 0 0 7 1.1 2.0 1.6 IIM 0 0 0 1 5 0.5 0.9 0.8 IIN 3 0 0 1 7 1.5 1.5 2.5 IIIA 1 2 1 3 1 2.4 1.5 0.8 IIIB 2 3 1 2 2 0.7 0.9 1.2 IIIC 1 4 2 2 3 1.2 0.3 0.8 IIID 0 0 1 2 8 1.1 2.0 1.6 IIIE 0 0 0 0 7 0.5 0.9 0.8 IIIF 0 0 0 1 5 1.5 1.5 2.5 IIIG 3 0 0 1 7 2.4 1.5 0.8 IIIH 1 2 1 3 1 0.7 0.9 1.2 IIII 2 3 1 2 2 1.2 0.3 0.8 IIIJ 1 4 2 2 3 1.1 2.0 1.6 IIIK 0 0 1 2 8 0.5 0.9 0.8 IIIL 0 0 0 0 7 1.5 1.5 2.5 IVA 0 0 0 1 5 2.4 1.5 0.8 IVB 3 0 0 1 7 0.7 0.9 1.2 IVC 1 2 1 3 1 1.2 0.3 0.8 IVD 2 3 1 2 2 1.1 2.0 1.6 IVE 1 4 2 2 3 0.5 0.9 0.8 IVF 0 0 1 2 8 1.5 1.5 2.5 IVG 0 0 0 0 7 2.4 1.5 0.8 IVH 0 0 0 1 5 0.7 0.9 1.2 IVI 3 0 0 1 7 1.2 0.3 0.8 IVJ 1 2 1 3 1 1.1 2.0 1.6 IVK 1 2 1 3 1 0.5 0.9 0.8 IVL 2 3 1 2 2 1.5 1.5 2.5 VA 1 4 2 2 3 2.4 1.5 0.8 VB 0 0 1 2 8 0.7 0.9 1.2 VC 0 0 0 0 7 1.2 0.3 0.8 VD 0 0 0 1 5 1.1 2.0 1.6 VE 3 0 0 1 7 0.5 0.9 0.8 VF 1 2 1 3 1 1.5 1.5 2.5 VG 1 2 1 3 1 2.4 1.5 0.8 VH 2 3 1 2 2 0.7 0.9 1.2 VI 1 4 2 2 3 0.7 0.9 1.2 VJ 0 0 1 2 8 1.2 0.3 0.8 VK 0 0 0 0 7 1.1 2.0 1.6 VI 0 0 0 1 5 0.5 0.9 0.8 Pp-Nt: Phytophthora parasitica-tobacco; Rs-Nt: Rhizoctonia solani-tobacco; N-Nt: Nocardia sp-tobacco; Rs-Sl: Rhizoctonia solani-tomato; As-Sl: Alternaria solani-tomato; Bc-At: Botrytis cinerea-Arabidopsis; Bc-Nt: Botrytis cinerea-tobacco; Bc-Sl: Botrytis cinerea-tomato. *The values represent the percentage (%) of mortality due to said disease. **The values represent the percentage (%) of leaves with the disease symptoms. ***The values represent the mean of the diameter (mm) of the lesion produced by the disease.

Example 7. Evaluation of the Protective Effect of the Compounds of Formula I to V on the HLB Citrus Disease

This experiment was developed to determine the protective effect of the application of the compounds, once a month, at a concentration of 1 μM, on citrus plants without HLB symptoms, in an area with citrus plants affected by HLB and high levels of insect vector population. Ten citrus plants free from HLB were studied per treatment, and they received a solution of the compound to be evaluated, by spray; and 10 citrus plants free from HLB were not treated with the compounds. The levels of the Candidatus ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’ bacterium were determined as in Example 3. The treatment of citrus plants free from HLB with the compounds of formula I to V allowed the protection of said plants from the bacterial infection through the vector. In said treated plants, the titers of the bacterium remain very low, between 1 and 4, while in the untreated plants, that did not receive the compounds; the levels of bacteria were increasing as the months passed. At the beginning of the experiment, the titers of the bacterium in the untreated plants were 5621, while one year later the average titer increased up to 6584. In said control plants, untreated with the compounds, two years later the bacterial titers continued increasing up to 8456. The symptoms of the HLB disease also were up in the control plants that remain untreated. The result achieved after the application of the compounds of formula I to V was unexpected, and allows the use of compositions that comprise said compounds, for the protection of citrus against said significant disease.

Example 8. Evaluation of the Protective Effect of the Compounds of Formula I to V on the Damages Caused by Nematodes

The solutions of the compounds were prepared in ethanol and diluted in water, up to a concentration of 1 μM for a foliar application. Applications were conducted every 5 days, spraying only the leafs with each compound. Ten plants were used for each treatment and the final evaluation was performed 35 days after, by quantifying the number of nodules per plant. As shown in Table 10, the compounds induced a systemic effect on nematodes, with a significant reduction in the number of nodules per plant, in the studied crops. By this way, the effectiveness of the compounds in controlling high populations of the plant parasitic nematodes Meloidogyne incognita, Radopholus similis and Pratylenchus coffeae in tomato, banana and plantain was demonstrated.

TABLE 10 Effect of the compounds of formula I to V in the nematode control. Nematode Compound Rs Mi Pc control 45 34 42 IA 12 23 18 IB 24 3 13 IC 13 4 22 ID 0 0 11 IE 0 0 0 IF 0 0 0 IG 31 0 0 IH 19 21 11 II 2 3 13 IJ 18 4 24 IK 0 0 15 IL 0 0 0 IM 0 0 0 IN 3 0 0 IIA 17 2 14 IIB 2 3 14 IIC 18 4 2 IID 0 0 17 IIE 0 0 0 IIF 0 0 0 IIG 3 0 0 IIH 16 2 18 III 2 3 1 IIJ 12 4 2 IIK 0 0 14 IIL 0 0 0 IIM 0 0 0 IIN 3 0 0 IIIA 11 2 16 IIIB 2 3 16 IIIC 14 4 2 IIID 0 0 18 IIIE 0 0 0 IIIF 0 0 0 IIIG 3 0 0 IIIH 14 2 16 IIII 2 3 12 IIIJ 12 4 2 IIIK 0 0 14 IIIL 0 0 0 IVA 0 0 0 IVB 3 0 0 IVC 14 2 13 IVD 2 3 15 IVE 14 4 2 IVF 0 0 17 IVG 0 0 0 IVH 0 0 0 IVI 3 0 0 IVJ 16 2 18 IVK 14 2 14 IVL 2 3 12 VA 1 4 2 VB 0 0 1 VC 0 0 0 VD 0 0 0 VE 3 0 0 VF 1 2 1 VG 1 2 1 VH 2 3 1 VI 1 4 2 VJ 0 0 14 VK 0 0 0 VI 0 0 0 Rs: Radopholus similis; Mi: Meloidogyne incognita; Pc: Pratylenchus coffeae. * The values represent the number of nodules per plant. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for the treatment of plant diseases comprising application to the plants of an effective amount of a composition comprising at least a compound of formulas I or II,

or its salts wherein: R represents a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, alkyl C₁₋₁₂, heteroalkyl C₁₋₁₂, cycloalkyl C₃₋₇, heterocycloalkyl C₃₋₇, aryl, heteroaryl, arylalkyl C₁₋₃, heteroarylalkyl C₁₋₃, arylcycloalkyl C₁₋₇, heteroarylcycloalkyl C₁₋₇, alkyl C₁₋₃ cycloalkyl C₃₋₇, and heteroalkyl C₁₋₃ cycloalkyl C₃₋₇; and the plant disease is caused by a phytopathogen selected from the group consisting of bacterium, oomycetes, fungi, and nematodes.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the phytopathogen is the bacterium Candidates ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises between 0.01 μM and 5 μM of said compound.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is applied to the plants once or twice a month.
 5. A composition comprising at least one compound of formulas I or II,

or its salts, and an appropriate excipient or carrier, wherein: R represents a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, alkyl C₁₋₁₂, heteroalkyl C₁₋₁₂, cycloalkyl C₃₋₇, heterocycloalkyl C₃₋₇, aryl, heteroaryl, arylalkyl C₁₋₃, heteroarylalkyl C₁₋₃, arylcycloalkyl C₁₋₇, heteroarylcycloalkyl C₁₋₇, alkyl C₁₋₃ cycloalkyl C₃₋₇, and heteroalkyl C₁₋₃ cycloalkyl C₃₋₇.
 6. The composition of claim 5 wherein the compound of formula I or II is in the range of 0.01 μM-5 μM.
 7. The composition of claim 6 characterized for being applied to the plants for the treatment of the disease caused by the bacterium Candidatus ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’.
 8. A method for the stimulation of the natural defense and the induction of resistance against plant diseases comprising applying to plants an effective amount of a composition comprising at least a compound of formulas I or II,

or its salts, wherein: R represents a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, alkyl C₁₋₁₂, heteroalkyl C₁₋₁₂, cycloalkyl C₃₋₇, heterocycloalkyl C₃₋₇, aryl, heteroaryl, arylalkyl C₁₋₃, heteroarylalkyl C₁₋₃, arylcycloalkyl C₁₋₇, heteroarylcycloalkyl C₁₋₇, alkyl C₁₋₃ cycloalkyl C₃₋₇, and heteroalkyl C₁₋₃ cycloalkyl C₃₋₇; and the plant disease is caused by a phytopathogen selected from the group consisting of bacterium, oomycetes, fungi, and nematodes.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the phytopathogen is the bacterium Candidatus ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound of formula I or II is selected from the group consisting of


11. The composition of claim 5 wherein the compound of formula I or II is selected from the group consisting of


12. The method of claim 8 wherein the compound of formula I or II is selected from the group consisting of


13. A method for the reduction of plant diseases comprising application to the plants of an effective amount of a composition comprising at least a compound of formulas I or II,

or its salts wherein: R represents a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, alkyl C₁₋₁₂, heteroalkyl C₁₋₁₂, cycloalkyl C₃₋₇, heterocycloalkyl C₃₋₇, aryl, heteroaryl, arylalkyl C₁₋₃, heteroarylalkyl C₁₋₃, arylcycloalkyl C₁₋₇, heteroarylcycloalkyl C₁₋₇, alkyl C₁₋₃ cycloalkyl C₃₋₇, and heteroalkyl C₁₋₃ cycloalkyl C₃₋₇; and the plant disease is caused by a phytopathogen selected from the group consisting of bacterium, oomycetes, fungi, and nematodes.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the phytopathogen is the bacterium Candidates ‘Liberibacter asiaticus’.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the composition comprises between 0.01 μM and 5 μM of said compound.
 16. The method of claim 13 wherein the compound is applied to the plants once or twice a month.
 17. The method of claim 13 wherein the compound of formula I or II is selected from the group consisting of 